


When I saw you I knew you were mine

by reveetoile



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Romance, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-04-14
Packaged: 2018-09-14 19:31:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9199433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reveetoile/pseuds/reveetoile
Summary: It was Aiba's birthday, and Sho took them all on a little vacation to Manhatten to enjoy the cold days. Nino meets Ohno there, and just as they see each other an accident happens, and Nino hates his life a little. But it's nothing dramatic. I only suck at summaries.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story two or three years ago I think. I wanted to post it then for Aiba's birthday, but I lost the sheets I wrote it on (I wrote it on the train while travelling to my parents for Christmas and didn't have a computer on me XD) I found it in the middle of summer this year and edited it a little. Sadly I missed Christmas again for posting (because I was looking for the place I saved this on and just found it today XD) So here is my Christmas story that really should have been posted on the 25th and not now.

Nino was grumbling when an overexcited Aiba pulled him to the ice-rink below the big Christmas tree. They were currently in Manhattan since Aiba decided that he wanted to see something different this year on his birthday. That stupid boyfriend of his decided to bring him here as a birthday present, and since Masaki decided that he didn’t want to spend his birthday without his best friends, Aiba pestered them to come with him and Sho. Jun said yes quickly because he had wanted to visit Manhattan since he was a child and told them that Manhattan would be beautiful around this time of the year - because Jun had seen it on television - and Nino himself was just being tagged along with them so that he won’t become lonely.

Which he wouldn’t have otherwise, too, thank you very much. He just wanted to spend his year-end vacation at home playing his games, doing laundry and his finances without being disturbed by his friends or work matters. He sighed a little and shrugged Aiba’s hands off when he began to tug at his shoes.

“Calm down, please,” Nino begged as he straightened his hat and scarf so that he won’t freeze to death. Manhattan was a lot colder than Tokyo, he decided. Nino nodded at Sho in thanks when Sho gave each of them a pair of shoes and sat down to change into them. He was glad that Sho was beside Aiba now and succeeded in calming down his boyfriend only with looks and touches. Nino looked at them and if Nino were truthful - which he wasn’t obviously - he would say that he was jealous of them. He yearned to meet his soulbond just to see if he indeed had one.

But not everybody was as lucky as Aiba and Sho. They met in playschool, and since then they were inseparable. Nobody was surprised when they realised that the other one was their soulbond shortly after they hit puberty and both started to hear each other inside their heads. At first, they became even more inseparable as nobody was able to leave their soulbond right after bonding. One had the physical need to be close to the each other for days, weeks or even month. Afterwards, it would be possible to leave each other for short distances, a few days and after years of being together longer distances or time spans. Something that was important for both of them so that they could do the jobs that they wanted since they were children.

And yes, Nino was very happy for his friends. Since the beginning but that didn’t mean that he sometimes wishes to find his partner. With another sigh, he shook off the thoughts to look at the others who were waiting for him to join them.

“Sorry. I just spaced out,” Nino mumbled with a little blush, and they grinned.

“It’s fine. Just try not to tune out when you are on the ice. We don't want to have you knocking yourself out there,” Jun said, and Nino stuck out his tongue. Jun hadn’t found his soulbond yet either but at the moment he was happy just like it was and he didn’t want to change it. Not right now.

Nino stood up carefully and wobbled dangerously as he grabbed for Jun's hand who was beside him. “How do you stand on these things?” he asked a little panicked. He didn’t think that it was so different from walking regularly.

“Did you never skate before?” he asked, and Nino shook his head.

“Why should I? It can’t be that difficult?”

Jun huffed a little at those words and shook his head. “Come on I’ll show you,” he sighed and helped Nino onto the rink. Nino swore a little while he clung to Jun when he slipped on the ice directly after stepping foot on it.

“This is one of the worst ideas of Aibacchi,” he mumbled and looked at said a person and Sho who were skating a little further away from them and were in their little world. Nino smiled as they looked really happy and good under the Christmas tree and he frowned when Jun tugged him with him.

“Now look what I do and try to imitate,” Jun mumbled, and Nino nodded frowning a little. He moved slowly at first but fast he was able to skate a bit more freely even if he tried to stay near the wall and Jun as to hold onto each of them whenever he stumbled a little. After a while, he got braver and tried to skate a little faster. Nino nodded at Jun when the other asked if it was okay for him to go for a few rounds on his own. Nino went around once more before he decided that he had enough and that a hot chocolate would be in order. He could sit in the stands and watch the others have fun on their own.

He looked up to find the little door where they could leave the ice-rink when his eyes fell on a figure who seemed to watch the people here in general but ended up looking right back. A jolt went through his back when he heard a song in the back of his head with a confused little ‘what’ combined.

He wasn’t able to concentrate anymore as the new voices and sounds were overwhelming, and the shock of it all that he lost his balance and drove directly into the wall of the ice-rink, and the worried voice in his head was the last thing he had heard before everything faded into black.

 

Ohno was in Manhattan to learn a new choreography for his new single and had a few days off in between recordings, so he decided to look around and took his camera with him. He liked seeing different people and with the lights here in the moment there were many beautiful pictures to be taken. Ohno loved seeing the happy faces of couples or families with their children. And today he decided to look around at the biggest tree with the ice-rink. The people at work told him that each tourist has to visit it at least once, and that would be today for him.

He watched the people through his camera and shot a few pictures before he put it back to get himself something warm to drink.

He sighed when he put his hands on the hot mug and smiled happily as it brought warmth through his whole body. He sat on the little stands and watched the people on the ice. It was a lovely sight. He hummed a little under his breath - the new song he would record in two days - when his eyes fell on a lone person on the rink. His breath caught in his throat when the second their eyes met he heard a melodious voice in his head. He stood and went to the opening to meet him there when he gave a shout while the man lost his footing and dived into the wall.

The people around him shouted in surprise, and three other people crowded around him. They were shouting and laughing a little as they seemed to think that he faked lying there. Ohno ran to the side where they stood and took a few deep breath.

“He…” he began in a slightly breathless voice since it was disturbing not to hear him now that he should have his presence inside his head. They looked up, and he pointed at Nino. “He doesn’t fake it. He lost consciousness,” he mumbled and bit his lip as they looked at him confused.

“Uhm… He… I… We are soulbond,” he explained and smiled shyly. “I can’t hear him anymore in my head. But I could just seconds before he ran into the wall.”

Sho put a hand on Aiba’s mouth before he could shout excitedly about how happy he was. “Later,” he reprimanded and asked for someone to call an ambulance while Jun kneeled down to check on Nino, relief flooding into him when he realised that he was breathing, but just as Ohno explained he was still out cold.

It didn’t take long for the ambulance to arrive and they took Nino with them. After a bit of a hassle, the paramedic decided that Ohno would drive with them directly to ensure that they were near so short after bonding and the rest followed to the hospital.

When they arrived at Nino’s room Ohno sat there and held the hand of the one lying in bed.

“The doctor said he is fine. He just hit his head pretty badly. But aside from a big concussion, he should be okay once he wakes,” Ohno mumbled and the three men relaxed a little.

“I think introductions should be in order,” Jun muttered, but Sho sighed a little.

“Not today. We should give them time for themselves. We can do this when Nino is awake,” Sho said, and Aiba nodded. Both were remembering the overwhelming feeling when they bonded. And they knew each other before.

Jun watched them a moment before he nodded and smiled. “Okay, please call us when he wakes, Ohno-san,” he asked, and the man nodded.

“Of course. Thank you.” They smiled at him and left them alone once more to go back to the hotel.

Ohno watched the man lying in bed still surprised to have met his soulbond in such a foreign land. He smiled a little when he felt his presence more and more as the night advanced and felt a little anxious when he felt how Nino awoke slowly.

 

Nino groaned when he finally opened his eyes, and his hand wandered to his head when he realised a brutal headache he had. He looked to his side when he heard a little hiss and blinked when his eyes met with the man from yesterday.

“Good morning,” he said slowly, and the man smiled at him.

“Good morning,” Ohno replied and squeezed his hand softly.

“Soulmate huh?” Nino asked, and Ohno nodded laughing.

“Yup… And may I add your head seems to hurt like a bitch.”

Nino cracked a smile and nodded tiredly. He was happy that he met his soulmate, but Nino would have been even more comfortable if he wasn’t in so much pain at the same time. He smiled and intertwined their fingers ready to drift to sleep once more when his eyes flew open shocked.

“Please tell me you don’t live here?” he nearly begged, and Ohno blinked before he shook his head.

“No. I live in Tokyo and you?” he asked, and Nino nodded relieved.

“Me, too.” They smiled at each other and Nino fell asleep once more. Knowing that the life ahead would be filled with more from now on.


	2. It's not that easy after all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually didn't want to write a continuation of this. But littlebadlei asked me to do so. So I tried? I don't know if I will write more to this even if this chapter ends even more openly than the first. Please tell me your thoughts?

“Finally we are back,” Nino groaned when they left the plane and exited the terminal. Ohno was right behind him and took his hand as soon as he could. Nino watched him before he squeezed his hand and smiled for a short moment when he felt the careful poke of Ohno’s mind in his own.   
“I’m fine. Don’t worry,” Nino answered to the unspoken question and Ohno rolled his eyes beside him.  
“I’m allowed to worry. You were sick on the plane. Even the tablets didn’t help that much besides sending you to sleep.”  
“I get motion sickness fast. So travelling with me is never a fun task,” Nino explained, and Ohno nodded dumbfounded.   
“I didn’t know that.”  
Nino shrugged and pulled his suitcase behind them while they wandered to the entrance where hopefully Jun was waiting for them. The younger man had promised Nino to fetch them from the airport since neither Ohno nor Nino wanted to pay for the taxi fare. 

Nino waved when he finally saw Jun.   
“Hey. Finally back? We thought we lost you to Manhattan now,” Jun grinned, and Nino rolled his eyes. They had talked about that a lot.   
It was normal for two recently bonded people to be free of work so that they could get comfortable with each other and of course because they weren’t able to do much the first weeks after bonding if the other was out of eyesight. The only problem was that Ohno was in the middle of recording there in Manhattan when they met. Of course, Ohno had told Nino that they could go back immediately and that his management probably would understand but Nino could have seen the worry in the eyes of the older man even without being able to know what was going on in his head.   
It was a work of a few calls to ensure that he could stay in Manhattan as long as Ohno needed there and it wasn’t as if he could fly back with the others because of his head injury. He had to stay in the hospital for another two days at least, and their vacation would have ended the day after their trip to the ice rink. So it was easy to get the money for the flight back. Nino and Ohno booked a flight once they knew when Ohno was finished and took the trip back together.   
“Ohno-san finally finished,” Nino explained, and Jun nodded with an understanding smile. Nino looked at Ohno who looked a bit uncomfortable since he hadn’t talked much to Nino’s friends yet. To be honest, even Nino and Ohno didn’t have much time for each other yet. So it was still strange that this man beside him was now his soul bond and perhaps a partner for life. 

“Where to?” Jun asked and broke the uncomfortable silence while he put the suitcases in the trunk for them. Nino tugged Ohno to the back of the car so that they could sit beside each other and relaxed when they weren’t out there in the open anymore. Nobody would have problems with them being together - one of the biggest advantages if you thought about it. Soul bonds were always accepted regardless of whom they were with because it wasn’t anything one could change.   
“To mine,” Ohno said finally and told Jun the address so that the other could put it into his GPS. “I want to get some things, and then we go to Nino’s to live there till we decide on what to do.”  
“Oh, you chose to live in Nino’s flat?” Jun asked surprised, and Nino understood why. His apartment wasn’t that big. It was enough for himself to live comfortably but if two people were living there all the time it was a bit small. Nino and Ohno decided to use it anyway. First, because Nino didn’t want to move all of his electrical devices, second because he could work from home for a bit with his equipment and third because both of them hoped that it would be easier to get to know each other if they were forced to arrange around each other in a small place. Ohno had told him his flat was big enough for them both to probably hide in different rooms and still be near enough to keep the bond intact. But now that Nino had indeed a bond mate he wanted to make sure to get to know him better in the next few weeks.   
Ohno luckily had a little vacation now after his successful recordings and before the concerts would begin. Nino thought that it would be good for them to get comfortable around each other and perhaps be able to stretch their link a little further so that Nino wouldn’t have to travel with Ohno that much on the upcoming tour. That way both would be able to continue their work without troubling the other too much.   
They arrived soon at Ohno’s building, and Ohno tugged Nino forward to step into his home. Nino was a bit unsure as to intrude his privacy but Ohno shrugged at that and pulled him forward.  
“I will be living with you in your home. So it’s only fair that you can at least look at mine. Don’t you think?”  
“Probably. Do you need any help?” Nino asked and Ohno shook his head. “I just want to grab a few changes of clothes and maybe a sketchbook or two. You can sit down on the sofa if you want. Or wander around. I don’t care,” Ohno explained with a grin and Nino nodded.  
“Thank you.”  
He watched as Ohno left in the direction of another room and looked around curiously when he was left alone. Ohno’s home was huge, and he could probably fit another person in here comfortably (or two or three). Nino was beginning to get second thoughts about letting Ohno stay with him.   
His flat was personal. It was a very private thing to let anyone into their lives and in his flat Nino had everything he wanted to hide sometimes in front of others. Ohno would see all that, and it made him nervous.  
He looked around in the living room and looked through a few books and movies Ohno had. All in all this room was a bit sterile. You could see that the one who lived here didn’t spend that much time at home and Nino asked himself if Ohno had a housekeeper of some sort because all the rooms he had seen till now were spotless. He wandered into the kitchen and checked the cupboards curiously but didn’t find anything interesting or things he didn’t have at home when Ohno appeared behind him once more.   
“Have you finished already?”  
“Yup. I don’t have much I need. We can head to yours.”  
Nino eyed the little bag Ohno had now in addition to his suitcase and nodded then. It was strange that all the important things Ohno wanted to bring with him would fit in such little bags. Nino was sure that he would have needed much longer to assemble everything he thought he would need to live comfortably for the next few weeks with an almost complete stranger.   
“Okay. Let’s go then. We shouldn’t make Jun wait for too long. In the end, he might decide to leave without us,” he joked, and Ohno grinned amusedly.   
“Then let’s hurry. I can’t wait to see your home.” Nino smiled helplessly at the curious look on Ohno’s face and led the way after not knowing what to reply. Why was he so helpless against those bright eyes? Ohno looked too cute for his good; Nino thought when they stepped into the car again, and Jun drove them home.

“Thanks again, Jun. I will call you when we managed to settle down,” Nino promised his friend when they stopped in front of his apartment building, and Ohno pulled their bags out of the trunk.  
They said their goodbyes then since Jun had to go back to work and Nino ruffled his hair. As he said he was nervous about letting Ohno into his life but he would try his best not to make Ohno uncomfortable.  
“Let’s go in then,” Nino smiled and helped Ohno with their luggage as they entered the building, and Nino thanked all Gods that the elevator was working today. In front of his door, he took another calming breath and then stepped inside.   
“This will be your home for the next few weeks,” he explained, and Ohno stepped inside right behind him. Nino took his bag to put it away before taking off his shoes and stepped into his slippers. Then he gave Ohno some of his guest slippers because Ohno told him sheepishly that he put his somewhere in the bottom of his bag.   
“Do you want a tour?” Nino asked curiously, and Ohno agreed happily.   
“Sure why not?”  
Nino grabbed his hand and pulled him behind himself as he showed him the kitchen, bathroom, living-room and bedroom.   
“As I mentioned it is not as big as what you are used to probably,” he explained a bit bashfully and Ohno grinned.  
“It looks nice and warm. Homey. I like it,” Ohno said and they sat on the sofa. Both decided that they could unpack tomorrow and Nino would just lend Ohno something to wear for this night.   
“More than my flat anyway. I moved just recently and didn’t have the time to make it a home yet actually,” Ohno explained, and Nino blinked in surprise.   
“So that is why it looks so sterile,” he mumbled, and Ohno laughed before he agreed.   
“Why did you move?”  
“A change of scenery probably. I lived with my parents till a few months ago.”  
“Huh?” Nino mumbled surprised. Ohno was older than he was and he lived on his own for around ten years already. He wanted to ask Ohno why he moved so suddenly but thought that the question was too personal for him to ask just yet.

“It’s strange,” Ohno mumbled after a few minutes of silence and Nino looked up.  
“What is?”  
“When we first met I could hear you clearly in my head. Now it’s all fuzzy, and I can only guess your feelings or thoughts. I thought soul bonds could communicate through their bond?”  
Nino nodded and shook the head at the same time which made him a bit dizzy before he stopped and apologised.   
“Yes and no. We can when we know each other better. And with time. The first day is something special. Or not so much for us since I was mostly out cold.” Ohno cracked a grin at that but still was a bit confused.  
“I could feel how ill you felt on the flight, though. Or when you were shocked at one recording when I almost got hit by that car.”  
“Because those are primary things in my head at those times. I can, for example, hear all the songs you have on repeat in your head when you were recording. But not so much anything else. Aiba-chan explained that it gets easier with time. He and Sho had problems at first, too, and they knew each other already as toddlers. So don’t worry.”  
“How do you know?”  
Nino smirked and tapped him against the head. “You are projecting the fear that all is wrong. It’s not. We just need time.”  
“Do you think so?”  
“I know so. This all feels strange. We aren’t comfortable around yet. Neither do we know each other that well. Give it time, Oh-chan,” he said slowly and watched as Ohno’s face lit up at that nickname.   
“Okay. If you say so. I’ll give my best. I'm just silly, I believe. I thought all the time that everything would be perfect once I find my soul bond. You know?” Ohno promised, and Nino laughed. He carefully leant against the older and closed his eyes for a moment.  
“I know what you mean. But I think we have actually to work for it to be perfect,” Nino answered, and Ohno nodded with a pout. He had wanted it to be more fairytale like. “But in the end, it will be even better because we worked for it to become perfect,” Nino declared after a moment with so much certainty that Ohno could only believe him.


	3. Chapter 3

Two things Nino learnt about Ohno the first week they shared his home. First: Ohno could sleep anywhere at all time even when he had his eyes open and seemed actually to listen to him. Second: Ohno would leave his things everywhere lying around and never remember where he put it.   
It was driving Nino mad. He had a kind of order at home. Nothing too big but he didn’t want everything ending up in a mess.  
And that was what was slowly but steadily happening. Nino asked himself if Ohno ever learnt to clean up after himself. He would find cups and plates everywhere as worn clothes by the older man. Luckily most of them were in the bathroom but not in the laundry basket - their designated place so Nino would know when he had enough things for a wash - but beside it. Nino didn’t know how Ohno survived like that until now, but then he remembered that Ohno had a housekeeper that would come over regularly to clean up his apartment. Something that he didn’t have, and he didn’t want to get one. It wasn’t necessary if Ohno would just help a little bit.  
Nino sighed deeply and went to the living room where Ohno was sketching something on the sketch pad he brought with him when he moved it. That was good. Now he could be sure that Ohno was awake. The only thing he had to do now was making sure that Ohno stayed that way for their conversation Nino decided they would have.   
Nino took away Ohno’s sketchpad what got him his attention and took a deep breath. “We have to talk Oh-chan. It’s not going to work as it is now,” he began and took Ohno’s hand in his when he saw the panicked look in the eyes of the older. That was one more thing they would have to talk about in future. Ohno’s fear that their bond won’t work or that he would be left alone again.  
“I’m not about to break up with you. Don’t worry. I don’t want to experience that kind of pain it would bring. But if we want to continue to live together we’ll have to make some rules.”  
“I understand. Okay, I’m listening,” Ohno nodded, and Nino smiled thankfully at him.

“Okay. So I know that you had someone cleaning up after you for most of the time, right?” Nino asked, and Ohno nodded confused. His mother would clean up after him for years till he moved out and got himself a housekeeper when he realised he didn’t have enough time with his career to take care of his apartment and was always stressed out.   
“I don’t want to have to clean up after you, though. I have a job myself, and I won’t give it up even if you get more money than me. I like what I’m doing and meeting with my colleagues and friends at work. So I want us to share the house chores. And I get that I will most probably do more than you as I have more free time once you have to go on tours again. But now you are here and just idling around while I am working from home. And still you don’t help with anything,” he said carefully and looked at Ohno.   
“You have to learn to do things, you know? Your clothes aren’t getting magically cleaned and folded, and it drives me nuts that there are plates or cups everywhere I look because you take them with you from the kitchen and just let them stay wherever you were when you emptied them.”  
To Ohno’s credit, he looked pretty ashamed when he realised that Nino’s words were right and Nino began playing with his long fingers to keep him calm and show him that he wasn’t mad. Nino wasn’t he knew that he probably would start to get upset if Ohno didn’t change at least a little but he also knew that there would never be any changes if they didn’t talk about it at all.  
“I could pay for someone?” Ohno proposed slowly, and Nino shook his head.   
“I don’t think that we need someone to help us. We should be okay on our own. We just have to help each other out. If you could try at least to put the dishes into the dishwater and your clothes in the laundry basket it would be a big help. I can sort out the clothes as I don’t think that I would like you to try figuring out how the washing machine works. It was expensive, you know? As for the rest. I’m sure we can figure something out. But I need to be sure that you are willing to try at least.”  
Ohno watched him for a moment before he nodded a smile adorning his beautiful face and Nino reached up to stroke his cheek lovingly. He was so nervous about this, but he should have known that there was no need for it. 

“Actually, I have an idea,” Ohno said after they sat in silence for a moment. It was still strange for Nino to have someone at home to talk to so they often sat in silence next to each other mostly even without touching because it was still so new. Nino had always been shy when it came to getting to know new people because most people found him strange. It seemed that Ohno wasn’t any better in this than he was, sadly. It would have been so much easier if it was different.  
“What idea?” Nino asked curiously, and Ohno tugged Nino a bit closer. He felt so much much calmer when the younger man was as close to him as possible. Nino grinned and automatically rubbed his nose against Ohno’s shoulder. Their bodies reacted mostly automatically when they were this close to each other and Nino didn’t see a reason why he had to deny his body its need. He blinked when he remembered that Ohno wanted to tell him about an idea he had.   
“So I have to have interviews with different idol magazines about my work and such things.”  
“I thought so, yes,” Nino nodded a bit amused at how careful Ohno was talking. He was never interested in J-pop, so he didn’t know any of Ohno’s interviews even if Nino realised later on that he was aware that his voice and therefore probably a few songs. Nino didn’t have yet the time to listen to Ohno’s albums since it was a bit awkward to do so while the singer sat on his sofa and was observing him.  
“It’s for the fans to know more about my work and essential about me, you know? Now I’m not asking you to read up on them, but it all is so strange because we don’t know each other. And I’m not used to talking much, so we don’t speak, ne?”  
Nino giggled a little since gradually he began to understand where this seemed to be going. “Yup you are awful at talking. I realised that already,” he agreed and grinned cheekily up to him. Ohno took him by surprise when Ohno pinched his nose and then set a little kiss on top of it. Nino blushed when Ohno did and looked away fast.   
“We can try getting to knew each other through such a thing? Doing interviews?” Ohno finally ended his proposal and played nervously with his fingers. Nino hummed thoughtfully about that for a moment. It was strange to think of questions to ask Ohno, but it did make sense. Nino really should have asked others how they got to know their significant others when they didn’t know each other from before. But he had just Aiba and Sho as examples. And those two knew each other already as children. His parents never were soul bonds, and his grandmother was already dead when he understood that concept and his grandfather was always so sad when talking about her. So yeah, he was pretty lost.   
“Sounds good. But I don’t think I would be able to look into your face while answering your questions but I don’t want to write them down either because that is just strange. Can we record the answers?” Nino asked finally, and Ohno couldn’t hold himself back, so he kissed Nino’s forehead lovingly. He was happy to have Nino so close to him.   
“Sounds good. Let’s do that tomorrow, okay?”  
“Uhn. I don’t want to move. I’m comfortable right now,” Nino mumbled, and Ohno hugged the smaller frame a bit more tightly as he closed his eyes.   
“I didn’t think so,” Ohno agreed, and his hand caressed Nino’s back. Nino just had something on himself that made him want to protect the other man with everything he had.


	4. Chapter 4

Nino hid in the bathroom after Ohno had presented him with the tape containing his answers of the interview. It had been strange to think about questions for the older one and Nino thought that his questions probably were very lame and average. But Ohno hadn’t commented on it when he took the sheet of paper to look over his questions. Nino had told him more than once that Ohno could skip any questions he felt too awkward or didn’t want to answer. But Ohno had just smiled taken the paper and wandered off to his bedroom to go through the questions without Nino being able to listen in.   
Nino had gone to the kitchen and put on some music as to not hear anything accidentally and prepared dinner for them both while he waited for Ohno to come back.   
Now it was long after dinner, and they both were almost ready to go to bed. Ohno lounged on the sofa to watch a show about a famous painter, and he used that opportunity to take a calming bath and listen to the answers of Ohno. Nino slid in hot water once the tub was filled and carefully operated the device so that he wouldn’t accidentally drop it into the water. Soon after Ohno’s melodious voice could be heard in the bathroom and Nino tried to repress the will to hide under the water. For a moment he forgot to breathe as he concentrated on Ohno’s voice. Nino was a bit relieved to realise that Ohno was just as nervous as he was. 

>>Uhm… How should I begin? I hope you are not listening in or I will feel dumb. So if you are listening now could you please come in and I tell you theses things without the recording?  
…  
…  
Ah so no… It seems you aren’t listening in or you are too stubborn to come in. I don’t know. But I already learnt that you are adorable stubborn sometimes you know?  
This is strange. I will just your questions. Which are kind of adorable, too, just like you. And so innocent. I’m sure there are tons of people who would have asked entirely different things.   
Uhm… yeah. First of what I like to eat and what I absolutely can’t stand. That’s easy, and probably you know already my favourite dish. I love curry especially if it is really spicy. I have a few restaurants where I love to go to eat it because most people don’t like it as hot as I do. What I absolutely can’t stand is when they have strange shapes or things like insects and such things. In general, I don’t like insects that much and could well live without them.  
My favourite colour is blue, to be honest. But if I paint I mostly just use charcoal and no colours because it’s easier and I can take my sketchpad with me wherever I go. But I also do paint some bigger paintings with different kinds of colours, and I like to sculpt things sometimes when I have time. It all calms me down and is a perfect thing to do when I come home from work.   
I don’t like to be stressed. I like doing things my pace but as you probably have already thought that’s not really possible in my line of work. I have to meet deadlines and have to be careful as to how I appear in public. I am sorry that I somehow drag you into this all. I promise to take care that you aren’t disturbed by any reporters or such things. I would never let anyone harm you.  
Uh… I really would love to say such things to you in person. But I am bad with words. Especially if I am across of others. I am horrible in shows and often forget to speak, so I hate appearing on them. But I know that I have to the same with interviews.   
I didn’t have many relationships before now. I can’t really remember the exact number. So I am sorry that I can’t answer it, but I think it’s under ten. I had sex with more people, though. I don’t know which answer you wanted to hear. So I hope that’s enough.   
I like staying at home and don’t want to go out much. The only thing I really love doing outdoors is being on a fishing boat on the open sea. I would like to go with you one time. I think we both will have lots of fun there.   
I like to drink sake and beer, and I get easily drunk. So um yeah… I might try not to get drunk that often when we are together, alright? But I like the feeling when I am slightly tipsy. Speaking seems so much easier then, too.   
I don’t play many games. I have a fishing game on my phone I sometimes do, and I used to play Mario Party games with my parents. Most other games I am awful at, but I will play with you if you want to. I’ll try my best, I promise.   
What else is there on your list? You know that it’s mostly pretty basic yes? You probably get to know more about me if you read a few interviews in magazines I had till now.   
Ah, yes, we didn’t talk about it yet, you are right. My birthday is on the 26th of November. I will ask you here because I didn’t put it in my questionnaire: When is your birthday? I hope I didn’t miss it yet? I wouldn't forgive me ever if I did. So please tell me?  
About soul bonds: I wanted to meet my soul bond since forever, to be honest. My parents were soul bonded, and their love was so pure. I enjoyed looking at them, and I wanted the same. It seemed to be the best thing that could happen to someone. I can’t exactly tell you why I was so focused on it, though. Not because I don’t want to but because I can’t. I was so happy that you were my soul bond, you know? And it was so wonderful that I met you there in Manhattan. The last weeks were hard, and it helps to know that there is someone there for me. I’m sorry if I am too forward with it all and if I scare you a bit with it all. Please tell me if I am, yes? I will try to slow it down then.  
You asked if I don’t like living here with you, at your flat. I don’t know why you would think so since I love being here with you. It’s nice not to be alone. But I have to say that it’s a bit small for two grown men to live in there for more than a few weeks. I would like to move with you to another apartment that will become ours. Not mine. I want a new one that I share with you right from the beginning and where we both will decide how we want to decorate it. That is my dream right now. I don’t have many dreams. Never had.   
I wanted to sing, and dance and I became a singer. I want to bake bread, and I sometimes do in my free time. I wanted to draw and begin learning it. My biggest dream was to be happy and making the people that are important to me happy. That now includes you. I want to know what would make you happy and what your dreams are and I would like to support you in fulfilling them.   
Okay, this got a bit too cheesy for you, ne? I will tone it down and promise you never to tell you in person.   
I can’t wait to get closer to you. I think then I will be the happiest person on earth. Or at least very close to it.  
I should end this now. There aren’t any more questions on this and if you want to know anything more you can just ask me directly, okay? I promise I won’t mind any question. If I don’t want to answer it, then I won’t. But I have nothing to hide. At least nothing I can think of right now.   
Okay… Yeah… Goodbye Kazu?<<

Nino hid his face in his arms as he giggled when the device stopped. Ohno was just so cute in answering his questions. His voice was so flustered but also so warm. He closed his eyes and sighed happily. He loved how warm all of him got when he listened to Ohno’s voice. He probably will become a fan of the older man. If only that he can listen to his voice all day, even if he had to share it.   
He got out of the tub and wore his sleeping clothes before hiding the device in his desk and sauntering over to Ohno who was still concentrating on the documentary in front of him. Nino put his arms carefully over Ohno’s shoulder and pecked his neck.   
“It’s the 17th of June. So plenty of time for you to think about the perfect present for me,” he whispered, and Ohno looked at him a bit confused before he flushed and adverted his eyes.   
“Also I think we should go drinking this weekend,” Nino grinned when Ohno whined a little and broke his embrace. “But for now I want to head to sleep. Do you want to join me or want to finish this first?” Nino asked and gestured at the TV. He grinned victoriously when Ohno shut it down almost immediately and laughed out loud when the older tugged him with him to the bedroom. Cuddling with Ohno probably would become his most favourite pastime in the near future.


	5. Chapter 5

“Can we make a deal?” Nino asked the next day while he played with the recorder he had to record his answers for Ohno. Ohno looked at him a bit curious and nodded then after a moment of hesitation.  
“What is it?” he asked a bit confused and Nino had to smile at that. Really the things Ohno somehow did to him were ridiculous. He would never have thought that having a soulbond would confuse his mind and body so much. With careful fingers, he smoothed the frown on Ohno’s forehead and took then his hand in his own.  
“Nothing bad, I promise. But I feel uncomfortable because you will be here while I record the answers. I know you promised you wouldn’t, but I can’t shake the feeling that you might listen in. I’m sorry,” Nino mumbled a bit sheepishly. Because really, he did trust Ohno to an extent and probably Ohno wouldn’t listen in actively but he might accidentally when he wandered around his flat and came too close to the door or something like that. And yes, Nino knew he was a bit paranoid about it and that it was silly to even think all that, but he couldn’t help it. Ohno wanted to open his mouth to protest, but Nino was quicker and put his finger on Ohno’s lip.  
“I know you won’t do it. At least I know somehow. But… I can’t explain, please don’t be mad?”  
“I’m not,” Ohno finally answered with a sigh and Nino relaxed again. Ohno was too kind to him probably.  
“I saw that you got some tapes from your manager… I thought… Uhm you could listen to them and practise? I will record my answer while you do that and when I finish I will tell you immediately so that you can stop?” he tried, and Ohno nodded with an amused expression.  
“Of course. That would be no problem. Nino is so silly getting all nervous because of that,” he grinned, and Nino felt the tips of his ears burn at those words. He knew he was childish, but Ohno didn’t have to say that out loud!  
“Cute,” Ohno added and Nino hit him slightly against the chest for being so nerve wracking.

“Idiot. Get to your work so that I can get over with it,” he demanded in the end and shoved Ohno to the desk at the end of his living room. Nino told Ohno that he could store his work things there for the time being as well as his sketchbooks and now he watched as Ohno took the delivered player and headphones as well as a sketchpad and settled down on the sofa. Nino waited till he could hear the faint music from the earphones and sighed satisfied before going into the bedroom to sat on the bed and playing with the paper Ohno gave him the day before with his questions.  
Or just question. All Ohno had written on it was just:  
‘What do you want me to know about you?’  
It was a tricky question because if he was honest, he wanted to tell Ohno everything and nothing about himself. He was shy and insecure, and he liked to keep to himself. But he trusted Ohno at the same time so much. Nino couldn’t understand why it was like that. Aiba told him that it was normal, but Nino couldn’t completely believe him. Aiba trusted everybody Nino thought. And Aiba was certain that each person was good deep inside, another sentiment Nino couldn’t share. Nino sighed a bit and played with the recorder. He knew that Ohno gave him the easy option out if he wanted.  
Nino didn’t really get Ohno. Ohno was clueless about most things that go on on Nino’s head, and he tried his best to accommodate Nino. Ohno was nice to a fault and was open for everything Nino wanted to do. He almost never said no when Nino asked him something, but nonetheless, Ohno was also stubborn. There were certain things Ohno didn’t want to change about himself regardless what Nino said. But he was so adorable when they fought that Nino forgave him immediately and they made it work.  
Ohno was everything Nino was not but also so similar to himself. It was just strange, and Nino asked himself how this whole relationship would have grown if they had known each other earlier.  
Nino sighed slowly and then switched on the recorder. He should do this now without running away. 

“You are not fair Oh-chan,” he began and grinned slowly when he imagined Ohno’s pout at those words.  
“Your question is not fair, you know? That leaves it all on me. My questions were maybe silly and not necessary, but you didn’t have to decide for yourself what you want to tell, huh? I don’t know what I want you to know about me, to be completely honest. It is hard for me to open up to others. I have severe trust issues, and because of that, I make both of our lives hard from time to time. But I am grateful that you forgive me each time and give me the space I need to calm down.  
I think I should tell you how I feel about this soul bond thing we share, yes? Or no, first I should tell you things that are more important perhaps? I told you my birthday yesterday already, and you know how old I am and what I do for work so that I will skip those things. I also won’t tell you my favourites or dislikes since you will find out eventually. And if not it’s probably not important in our relationship. The important parts I forgot to tell you earlier were: I’m severely allergic to seafood. I will provide you with a list I can safely eat. As I now know you like fishing and probably eating and making things with those ingredients, you should now with what things you won’t kill me ne? I’m bad with milk products too, but I can survive them.  
I won’t go fishing with you ever as I get motion sickness as you already know. I don’t know how you can even think about taking me on a boat trip. I am even worse there because no medicine ever helped to feel better on boats. So you can go alone.  
And as you already realised: I will kill you if you destroy any of my games. Nah, probably not kill you but seriously hurt you, so be careful around them. 

Soul bonds… I would almost say that I didn’t believe in them. But that would be silly since my best friends are the prime example of such a bond. So yeah I know they exist and I kinda wished for a soul bond of mine. But at the same time, I was sure that such a thing didn’t exist for me. Now I realised that I have one and that scares me. I don’t know how they work. Not really at least because I never bothered actually to find out. I know the basics they teach in school or what I witnessed with Aiba and Sakurai. But I never paid close attention to it.  
And I’m sorry. I am most probably the reason we can’t hear each other through our mind yet. I don’t want to let anyone know my inner thoughts just yet. I hope you will be able to wait for a bit longer.  
I have to say I am thankful that you are my soul bond. I don’t think anyone would be so kind and understanding as you are. I want you to know lots of things about me, but I am not able to tell you. Not like this at least. I may be not able to tell you in person either. I know I am a complicated man and I am sorry. I really am, and I really try to change but… It’s just so hard. You have to probably be more forceful sometimes for me to be able to open up.  
I have a confession to make: I like you. I really do. I like you more with each day we live together, and that scares me even more. I know you can’t leave me physically because of our bond. At least I never heard that those bonds could break. But feelings can turn sour, and it’s hard for me to believe in forever.  
I hope you won’t hate me for this and can give me just a little time more? Please don’t give up on me yet, Oh-chan.” Nino didn’t realise that the last words were more a whisper than really understandable or that he had tears in his eyes. He was scared. Nino really was, and he didn’t want to give those tape to Ohno and at the same time he did. He took a few calming breaths and got up. Nino took the recorder and left the living room. He wanted to feel Ohno’s comfortable, warm arms around himself. 

Nino found Ohno napping on the sofa the earplugs were still in his ears and Nino could hear the soft hum of the music. It was probably a ballad if he interpreted the melody right. Nino looked at the half-finished sketch of himself on the sketchpad on the floor and felt how his body tingled at that. He found it unbelievable that Ohno could draw him so beautifully when he thought he looked anything but beautiful. Carefully - because he really wanted that hug now - Nino poked Ohno’s shoulder who opened his eyes immediately. Ohno’s deep eyes wandered over him, and Nino tried to hide from this observation. He would probably never get over how Ohno’s looks made him feel. Nino felt as if Ohno could look right through him and that was a scary thought. But Ohno didn’t say anything as he tugged him over the edge of the sofa and into his lap.  
“I finished my answer for you,” Nino mumbled meekly, and Ohno hummed a little in understanding. “Do you want to listen to it now?”  
Ohno shook his head before tugging even further to his body. Nino snuggled up in his embrace and closed his eyes. “I will listen to it later. Now I just want to take a nap with you in my arms. How about you?” Ohno asked and laid back on the sofa where Nino tugged his head right under Ohno’s chin when they both were comfortable.  
“I’m in,” he mumbled sleepily, and Ohno kissed his head feathery soft.  
“Good night, Kazu.”  
“Nighty Oh-chan,” Nino answered in a mumble and was once more stunned how perfect everything felt now. All his insecurities were gone for the moment, and he only felt warm and even loved in this embrace. He liked it really much and didn’t want to miss it ever and in times like now - already half asleep and listening to Ohno’s slight snores - he could believe that it would stay like this forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it ended like that. But I think Nino is mostly overwhelmed. And I promise there will be only one or two chapters more and everything will be happily resolved.


	6. Chapter 6

Ohno had listened to his answers when they went to sleep that night. Nino had told him that he wouldn’t be able to cope with it if Ohno listened to it while Nino knew he did it. The next morning Ohno had been fantastic. He had hugged Nino so so unbelievable close and whispered in his ear that there was nothing to forgive and Nino had held him as tightly as he could. It was a good morning, and it relieved so much stress in his body that he felt good now.   
He felt more comfortable around Ohno and found that telling Ohno how he felt had helped. It had made him free in a way even if that was probably a silly thought. But it was easier to be around Ohno now. 

He was brought out of his musings when there were a loud shout, clang and a bad smell coming from the kitchen and Nino was up in an instant. Ohno had insisted on cooking for them this evening and forbidden Nino any entrance to the said room. But nothing would hold him back now. So he opened the door and blinked confusedly when he saw Ohno standing in the middle of his kitchen. The pan which probably contained their meal was on the floor, and Ohno was busy putting out a little fire. Nino’s mouth fell open, and he hurried over to help Ohno a bit.   
“What did you do?” he asked worriedly, and Ohno looked at him sheepishly.   
“I accidentally put on the wrong hotplate and yeah… A towel laid there, and it caught fire, and I panicked, and then the pan fell, and I’m sorry,” he said miserable, and Nino shook his head.   
“You aren’t hurt?” When Ohno shook his head, he nodded and helped Ohno to clean up the mess he made. “Let’s order something and because it’s your fault you have to pay for it, deal?” Nino asked, and Ohno nodded even if he pouted for a moment. Nino tugged him out of the kitchen to the sofa and gave him some flyers. “You can choose. I will make us some tea to drink.” Ohno agreed mutely and then looked through the flyers while Nino went back. He could hear Ohno’s voice distantly while he made the call and poured both of them some tea. Back at the living room Ohno had chosen a TV show for them and say sat as close as possibly on the sofa without actually sitting on each other. It was comfortable like that for the moment. 

Ohno obediently got up when their food arrived to pay and bring it in while Nino went to the kitchen to get them some more plates and a few beers. He wanted to create a cosy evening for them both and hoped that the alcohol would help him to loose up a bit more. Nino grinned when Ohno’s eyes light up at the prospect of beer and with a start Nino realised that neither of them drank anything since they met.   
That was strange since usually Nino would drink a little in the evenings and he was sure that Ohno wasn’t that different. Of course, he wouldn’t drink as much as to get drunk but it was good to relieve his stress. Ohno already put the food on the table, and they both sat down in front of the table on the floor. “Looks good,” Nino complimented on Ohno’s choice, and they fell into a pleasant silence while they ate and watched the funny game show Ohno decided on earlier.   
Nino giggled at a funny gag of some comedians he liked when he felt Ohno’s gaze on him. He looked up and fought the blush on his cheeks.  
“What is it?” he asked and drank a sip of his beer to calm down again. He felt hot under Ohno’s gaze.   
“I like watching you. You look so calm right now. I like that. And you are cute when you laugh.” Nino felt the blush creeping back and threw the next thing in his reach - one of Ohno’s scripts - at the older one, who laughed and moved closer to him.   
Nino watched Ohno a bit nervously and stayed still when he felt his fingers on his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking in Ohno’s eyes again. Ohno smiled, and the fingers disappeared again.   
“Let’s play a game?” Ohno proposed, and Nino tilted his head curiously.   
“A game?”  
“Yup, none of your favourite video games, though. I am afraid I would break him,” he joked and Nino smirked a bit. “You said that you want me to know tons of you. And I want to know as much as possible of you. But you also told me you are too shy and need a bit force. So let’s try it? I ask a question, and you have to answer without thinking about it, and then it’s your turn. And the first who isn’t able to answer truthfully loses and will have to suffer a penalty.”  
“What kind of penalty?” Nino asked carefully and frowned. Ohno grinned almost evilly and then bobbed his nose.   
“That’s for the winner to decide. But don’t worry it won’t be anything difficult or dangerous, okay? You can veto if you think the punishment is too much and I have to find something else.”  
“Okay that sounds fair,” Nino nodded after a moment and drank another sip of his beer. Ohno caressed his temple for a moment and then got up to put away their dishes and came back with snacks and a few more drinks for them. 

Nino couldn’t hide his nervousness well when Ohno settled back down beside him and looked over at the older. He waited for the first question nd played with the can in his hand.   
“What’s your favourite colour?” Nino blinked as that was an easy question and felt himself relaxing more so when one of Ohno’s hands wandered behind Nino to caress his back softly.   
“A bright yellow,” he answered, and Ohno grinned at that.   
“Your turn,” Ohno reminded him, and he frowned a little thinking about what to ask. He did ask already some things earlier after all.   
“What music do you like?”  
“Uhm I don’t have favourites. I like listening to whatever the radio plays. Which tea do you like best?”  
“Jasmine or regular green tea. Your greatest pet peeve?”  
Ohno laughed and answered Nino’s question one after the other. Nino had fun of thinking of questions even if they were the silliest ones he could imagine like if Ohno danced in the car - yes actually if he was with his manager - or for how long he could hold his breath. Ohno was careful and kind with his questions and mostly asked things Nino could easily answer. Nino felt how he relaxed more and more besides the older man and leant against him for a moment. Nino liked feeling Ohno so close to him. Some question were harder to answer for Nino because he was a bit ashamed of them like if he won any competition which he did in fact. In school, he won once a music game with a self-written song. But telling that to a musician was shameful, especially when Ohno ordered him to sing it for him.   
In the end, it was Ohno who couldn’t answer a question Nino asked him about two actresses which Ohno told him he didn’t know. But Nino couldn’t quite believe him because they were one of the most popular at the moment. 

Ohno pouted but took his loss with a grace Nino probably wouldn’t have managed if he was truthful. They drank their beer in silence while Nino thought about his punishment for the older and frowned concentrated Ohno watched the man beside him amused and drank the last of his beer when Nino suddenly sat up.   
“Okay. I know what I want from you,” Nino said finally and tugged Ohno to stand up, just to push him down on the sofa once again. Ohno watched him a bit confused and nervous. Nino just smiled and sat on his lap. Nino took a deep breath as to calm down himself which made Ohno even more nervous and Nino put his hands on Ohno’s cheeks.   
“Do you trust me?” he asked, and Ohno looked into his earnest eyes. After a short moment, he nodded and held Nino’s hips so that the smaller man wouldn’t tumble down. Nino sent him a quick smile and was serious again so quickly that t almost took Ohno’s breath completely away. He was not used to anyone changing his moods as fast as Nino could.   
“Good. I need you to close your eyes. And no peeking.” Ohno did as Nino told him and Nino observed him carefully. It was a strange feeling for Ohno, but he felt Nino above him nd so was surprisingly calm. Nino caressed his lips with his thumb softly before touching his forehead with his own. Ohno’s breath hitched, and Nino smiled softly at that. Ohno was cute. Especially this nervous and confused.   
“Okay, now I need you to keep an open mind and you to concentrate on me. Can you do that?” Nino asked in a whisper, and Ohno gave an affirmative noise from the back of his throat. Nino smiled a bit wider and caressed his earlobe a bit. It was the only body part he could reach easily right now because he didn’t want to lose his hold of Ohno’s face between his hands.   
Nino felt Ohno relaxing after a few minutes and kept his stance. Slowly their breaths mingled with each other and Nino felt a calmness wash over him combined with some nervousness. Nino could feel the openness of Ohno’s mind, and it wasn’t long before he was ready to give up his last walls. Nino smiled when he could feel Ohno’s thoughts.   
>Hello there,< he said in between their minds and giggled a little at Ohno’s gasp. Slowly he loosened his hold and smiled when Ohno grabbed his hands quickly. Nino kissed his nose and leant against his shoulder.   
>I can hear you,< Ohno wondered and Nino nodded.   
>Yup, I trust you, so I tried my best ne?<  
“You are perfect,” Ohno whispered, and Nino giggled against his shirt. Ohno smiled amusedly since now he could see that Nino was actually a little bit drunk from all the beer he consumed earlier. But even like this Nino was really cute.   
“I know.”  
“I believe it’s time for you to sleep,” Ohno mumbled against Nino’s hair who nodded after a moment.   
“Mhmm… Sleepytime,” he mumbled, and Ohno laughed a little. “Carry me?”  
“Of course. Hold on tight,” Ohno ordered and waited till Nino’s grip around him got more uncomfortable, almost a bit too tight, but Ohno could cope with that. Nino was adorable, and he would never destroy his trust and let the younger man fall. Especially not now that Nino opened their connection.  
He carried Nino to the bedroom and put him under the covers when he realised that Nino wouldn’t lose his hold on him he followed right after and was silently glad that they chose to wear comfortable lounge wear at home.  
Nino sighed happily and cuddled closer to his friend. >I think I fell in love with you for real,< Ohno heard just in the back of his mind and felt then that Nino drifted to sleep. He gathered Nino tightly in his arms and kissed his forehead lovingly. He fell in love with the other the second time their eyes met and were happy that Nino felt the same finally.


	7. Chapter 7

Nino woke up feeling happy and a little bit hungover. He rubbed his eyes and groaned when moving just made his headache worse. Nino opened his eyes and sighed happily when he saw that the curtains believe and there was no light. He sat up more carefully this time and realised confused that Ohno was not with him. Nino was sure that they went to bed together yesterday - just like all the nights before. And Ohno usually slept longer than he did, so it was strange that the older wasn’t with him anymore. Just as he was about to get up, yelling for Ohno wasn’t an option with this headache, he heard Ohno’s voice in his head: >Just a moment. I’ll be right back.<  
So Nino leant against the cushions once more and frowned when he remembered that he somehow opened their connection yesterday evening. He didn’t know exactly how he did it, but he had an inkling of it. A smile was on Ohno’s face when he opened the door to the bedroom, and Nino mimicked it when he saw the older was holding a tray with different foods, coffee, water and juice. As Ohno settled with it between them, he could also see an aspirin which he longed to take, but Ohno snatched it away.  
“Eat first a bit,” he ordered, and Nino sighed before taking the buttered toast and started nibbling on a corner of it. He watched Ohno and blushed as he realised that the older looked at him so lovingly.   
He finished the slice and nodded in thanks when Ohno finally gave him the medicine and a glass of water and leant against his shoulder waiting for it to kick in.   
“Mhm… Breakfast looks good,” Nino mumbled and hummed happily when Ohno’s fingers were in his hair slowly stroking it and using his fingers to give him a little massage. A shudder went through his whole body, and he felt warmth wash all over him as he felt Ohno’s feelings wash over him. He didn’t know how he managed to get this man as his boyfriend.   
“I hope you’ll be able to have more of it than just the toast. I tried my best for you, you know?” Ohno asked with an amused undertone in his voice, and Nino hummed in agreement.  
“Later,” he promised and grinned a little when he felt Ohno’s laughter as if it were his own. He liked this new sense of closeness, and he couldn’t believe that he was so afraid of it at first. They stayed silent for a long while with Ohno munching on some of the fruits he had brought for their meal till Nino felt better and opened his eyes once more. As he had thought the combined power of the tablet and Ohno’s touches helped his headache to disappear quickly and now he wanted his share of breakfast. 

“Here,” Ohno said just when Nino was about to lean over the tray, and Nino blinked when the older held a sliced apple in front of his mouth. Ohno grinned a bit wickedly and moved them around so that he could pull Nino closer to him with an arm draped over his stomach. Nino rolled his eyes a bit and opened his mouth so that Ohno could feed him whatever he wanted while cuddling to the older one.   
>A question!<  
>Mh? What is it?< Nino answered happily that he could continue with his meal while answering Ohno. It helped that Ohno was so giddy to be able to speak to him that way and that this giddiness skipped over to Nino the same time.   
>Why does this work suddenly?<  
>Mhm… Because you trust me. You promised so yesterday.<  
>I trusted you beforehand.<  
>True… But you made me trust you. And it made me feel silly. You seemed to read me already like an open book or most of me already. So why should I be scared if you can read my most private thoughts, too? So yeah… I think the alcohol yesterday helped too to tighten our bond.<  
>Just as I expected then. But you know that I probably won’t be able to read things you don’t want me to?<  
Nino sighed and huddled a bit closer to the warmth of the other. “I don’t know. I decided that I won’t hide anything once this connection is open,” he explained now and looked up. He traced Ohno’s face first with his eyes before he hesitantly brought his hand up to trace it with his fingertips also. Ohno’s face was smooth, no wrinkles could be seen yet, but he could trace the little scar at his face that felt different than the skin around it and the bit of stubble since Ohno hasn’t shaved this morning. His lips felt dry and even warmer than the rest of him. He smiled when he felt a little kiss on the top of the fingertips and closed his eyes once again. He felt full and so content that he wished that would hold on for forever.  
He felt Ohno’s lips on the top of his head when he drifted slowly to sleep, the long night, headache and pills took his effect. Ohno’s warmth didn’t help him to stay awake, to be honest, and he only barely registered when Ohno put him back on the bed and under the covers and left to do the dishes and whatever he wanted to do while Nino was taking a little nap. 

Ohno woke Nino up just a little while later and tried not to smile at how cute and adorable Nino looked totally sleepy and with such a bad bed hair. But Nino was always cute if somebody asked him and he wanted to spend as much time with the other as he could. He counted himself lucky that he had to spend time with Nino so that both felt right. That way nobody would even try to pry them apart.  
“I thought you shouldn’t sleep so long so that you can sleep in the evening,” he explained when Nino stared blankly at him and helped him sitting up. “I drew you a bath too. So you can go there and take it while I clear out this room. If I remember correctly it’s my time to clean up and change the sheets. It’s hard to do so when you are in them,” Ohno added, and Nino giggled a little.   
“You are cute when you are embarrassed.”  
“I’m not embarrassed.”  
“You start babbling when you are and talking a lot. So you are right now,” Nino grinned and pecked him on the cheek in thanks for the bath before wandering off to the bathroom. Ohno felt a blush creeping on his cheeks when he listened to the rustling sounds of Nino taking off his clothes and then the splash when Nino fell into the bathtub.   
It was hard for him to hold back. Especially now that Nino told him that he had fallen in love with him also. But Ohno knew Nino only admitted that because he was slightly drunk and already half asleep and couldn’t remember it. But he had to hold back. Everything was not fair. Nino was still a bit insecure about his feelings, and Ohno respected that even if it was hard.   
Ohno shook his head to forget about his thoughts and to stop listening to the sounds Nino made and started to do as he told Nino. He opened the curtains and the windows to let the fresh air in and busied himself with the sheets. Ohno still made a mess of everything and wasn’t able to do it as smoothly as Nino did when it was his turn, but Ohno got better already. He somehow understood that Nino didn’t want a housekeeper to look after their home when they were together. Nino was a very private person, and the thought of letting a stranger in to clean everything up must be strange for him. Ohno himself didn’t care that much. It was easier that way for him, but he could compromise if Nino had problems with it. He knew Nino did the same even if most people probably wouldn’t see it.   
But Nino went out with him, sat by his side while he painted him and listened to the same demo tapes for hours with him. Once they even went out fishing together - not for long since yeah the sea sickness tablets didn't work, so no more sea fishing for Ohno for a while. Ohno knew Nino tried a lot for them to work so Ohno would do the same. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t realise that Nino was watching him from the doorway till he heard an amused giggle.   
>Your butt is cute wriggling like that,< Nino thought pointedly with an image of said but and Ohno felt himself blushing to the tip of his ears.   
“You are horrible,” Ohno whined and turned around when Nino went over patted said butt and finally helped Ohno to straighten the last corner of his sheets. Ohno rolled his eyes since he couldn’t understand how Nino was so adorably cute about almost everything when it came to being close but could openly touch and admire his butt without the least bit of shame. 

Nino sat down on the bed after they were finished and watched Ohno for a moment.   
“I was thinking about something.”  
“About what?”  
“That we probably hid enough for the time being. We should finally invite our friends for a dinner or something like that.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I think our friends might kill us if we don’t answer them soon. At least mine will.”  
Ohno sighed and thought about his friends from the agency. He didn’t know if he was ready to face them, yet. He was aware that they would make fun of him and Nino at least a bit and he didn’t know if Nino would be okay with it. His friends were a loud bunch of people. He liked them because they all knew the hard times in show business but for people who didn’t know them, it might be a bit frightening.   
“You don’t want me to meet your friends?” Nino asked carefully, and Ohno’s eyes widened as he shook his head.   
“Of course not. That’s not it. But… Uhm they can be a bit much?”  
Nino giggled and pulled him closer. “You are worried about me? Don’t worry I can take quite a bit of teasing. But my flat might be a bit too small to accommodate that many of people, huh?”  
Ohno nodded and looked around. Nino’s place was small even if he mostly didn’t realise it anymore. It was comfy and the Nino's home so he liked it much. But with Ohno’s things in it, there wouldn’t be any space left to cater too many people.   
“Can we first just meet your friends?” Ohno asked in the end, and Nino frowned a bit. “Please? I don’t have that many close friends after all, and we could make a bigger get together later on in my apartment or something like that?”   
Nino thought it over for a moment and nodded finally. “A good idea. I’ll text the others to ask for an evening when they are all free, ne? But the rest of today I want to spend with you playing games in our little hide-out.” He winked at Ohno who laughed and nodded.   
“Sounds good to me. Come on then.”


	8. Chapter 8

Nino groaned while he watched Ohno clearing their living room. “It’s still time to say we can’t,” Nino said, and Ohno looked up from his task.   
“And what will you tell them? That we are out? They will never believe you.”  
“I could try.”  
“Kazu… Don’t you want them to meet me? Do you want to make me your dirty little secret? You know that it won’t work like that.”  
“But you would be a very sexy looking secret,” Nino said with a grin and Ohno chuckled a bit.   
“Really, it will be okay. Or are you ashamed of me?”  
“What?! No, of course not, you idiot. How can you even think something like that?” Nino said louder than he wanted and went over to Ohno to take him into his arms tightly. “You silly idiot, don’t even think anyone could be ashamed of you. I should ask you this. I’m not perfect boyfriend or soul bond material,” he mumbled against the fabric of Ohno’s shirt.   
Ohno turned around in his arms and put his arms around Nino’s smaller frame. When Nino looked so insecure, he looked like a little boy and not like the adult that was so fierce sometimes. “It will be okay. And you are perfect to me that is enough, ne?”  
“I suppose.”  
“Come on they are your friends. You don’t have to be scared of their thoughts, mh? I, on the other hand, have to make a good first impression.”  
Nino giggled and leant against the older. “I think that chance you lost already when you were the reason I got unconscious the first time we led eyes on each other.”  
“I almost have forgotten about that,” Ohno pouted, and Nino giggled a little. He loosened his hold around Ohno and sighed.   
“I should go back to cooking. I can’t believe that you make me cook dinner for my friends instead of just ordering something. It would be so much easier, and I had more time.”  
“Because I love your cooking,” Ohno grinned and Nino rolled his eyes before he vanished.   
“I hope this room is tidy when I come back. And don’t forget the toilet,” Nino warned, and Ohno saluted at his bossy boyfriend with a happy grin.

Soon after Nino finished preparing their dinner and Ohno was done with cleaning up, the bell rang, and Ohno got nervous at the thought of meeting Nino’s friends for the first time for real. Of course, he had seen everybody in the hospital, but they hadn’t spoken a lot. Ohno wasn’t talkative in general, and everything was just so confusing and new for him that he was at a loss for words. Luckily, the three of them understood and they mostly sat in silence in the little room for around half an hour before the others said their goodbyes and asked Ohno to call whenever Nino woke up. Nino slept a lot those days. He wasn’t unconscious, but he needed a lot of sleep. The doctors told them that that was normal and to let him just sleep it off. It was better for his concussion too and when the others had to leave Nino was in no way fit enough for the long flight, and as Ohno really should stay there, he said farewell to the three friends of Nino and promised them to bring him back safely later.   
The second time he only met Jun, but Jun didn’t talk much, either that time and Ohno was alright with it. It was just too strange. Now after almost three weeks of spending time alone with Nino it would be the first time to meet them again. He was sure that they were impatient for a meeting because Nino made himself so scarce - at least Ohno’s colleagues were curious about Nino and wanted to meet him. Ohno knew that they would need to meet with the others sometime too, but it would be hard to get a time when most of them were free, but he would write to them when this meeting would go well. This was, after all, more important than any other meetings (but their parents but as Ohno didn’t have any left and Nino’s mother was here in their first week that was nothing to be scared about). Nino liked his friends and took their thoughts really serious so he hoped that they would like him.

Nino chuckled when he felt how nervous and stiff Ohno got and poked him in the side at that one point where he knew that Ohno was ticklish and giggled when it made Ohno jump a little.   
“Just relax, geez. You look like I am going to bring you to your judgement day. They are good people, and they love making new friends. Don’t worry. Sometimes they like to seem scary but they are all friendly and cuddly and all that,” Nino said and went for the door before they could ring a second time.  
“They might all bark or seem scary, but they don’t bite. I promise. At least they won’t bite us. I’m not so sure about Aiba and Sho, to be honest. But I don’t want to know wither.” Nino grimaced, and Ohno chuckled a little which brought a smile on Nino’s lips. “That’s right. That’s the look I wanted to achieve.” He looked him over once again before finally opening the door to their apartment and letting his friends inside.

“So first things first: This is Ohno Satoshi as you all know and my soul bond so if you decide to make his life hard you can go,” Nino introduced and grinned.   
>NINO!<  
>Sorry sorry but I couldn’t resist. You look like a frighten pup. Please calm down, Oh-chan. Everything is going to be good. But I’m worried you will faint if you keep this stance up.< Nino watched as Ohno deflated a bit and then back to the others who grinned amusedly.   
“I see talking is no problem anymore?” Aiba asked amused, and Nino shrugged.  
“Oh-chan this are Matsumoto Jun, Sakurai Sho and Aiba Masaki. My friends since school or even longer if you count Aiba-chan. Aiba-chan and Sho-chan are soul bonds too, and our dear J here is still on the look for his bond even if he denies it.”  
Jun rolled his eyes, and they all finally moved to the living room to sit around the table. “We brought beer and some snacks,” Sho said, and Nino stood up to take the things. First, he gave all of them a can of the beer and then vanished to the kitchen to put the rest in the fridge.   
“I cooked, so we’ll have dinner first. I made only sukiyaki so make room on the table would you?” Nino asked, and they put their cans of beer aside. Ohno already installed the plate this afternoon when he cleaned the living room and made the place look comfortable, and Nino carried the big pan to the table as Ohno got up to take the different dishes and bowls to put in their sukiyaki. He was still very nervous, but it was a bit less now that he had almost drowned his first can of beer.

They began with their meal while Aiba told them all a story about what happened that day at the animal shelter he worked for. It was a fun story about a dog and a cat but Ohno couldn’t concentrate and would never be able to retell it if anyone asked. But he took the clue from the others to when to laugh and began with his meal. As Ohno thought, Nino’s cooking was fantastic even if Nino denied that this was actually cooking but it was so good and it relaxed him. Ohno didn’t know why but eating relaxed him usually so he was able to listen more carefully to the others and have fun for real.   
Still, it was strange for him to be here in between the four of them who knew each other since years already and somehow he felt a little like an outsider.  
“Ne Oh-chan? I heard you have an upcoming tour soon?” Jun asked finally, and Ohno blinked a bit confused because he didn’t think anyone would talk about that today.   
“Ah, yes. We start next month.”  
“Isn’t that early?” Sho asked surprised, and Ohno shrugged a bit uncomfortable.   
“Yeah it’s not the best, but we can’t move it. People bought the tickets already, and it’s hard to move shows to another day as easy as that because they are typically booked out. We already have dates for the next year mostly,” Ohno explained, and Nino took his hand to squeeze it a little for Ohno to calm down.  
“I already talked to my boss. I got other jobs that I can do from home. So I can move with Ohno around so that we won’t be apart for all those days. It’s exciting to be able to see so many things, too. Don’t you think?”  
“Probably. But you can’t sleep in other beds,” Aiba pointed out, and Nino shrugged. He didn’t think that would be a problem. Nino couldn’t sleep well in foreign places because they smelled foreign. But he won’t be alone but with Ohno. So it should be fine.  
“I don’t think it will be that big of a problem. After all, I’ll have Oh-chan beside me so I can’t get lonely,” Nino explained and grinned when Aiba squeaked a little. Ohno blushed and hid his face in Nino’s shoulder. He was shy around others, and he sometimes hated Nino a little for his loose mouth. Where did Nino learn those things?

“You are terrible,” Sho laughed, and Nino grinned brightly at them.   
“No, really. I think it will be fine. As long as Ohno is around we can make everything work I think,” he said after a moment of thinking and looked at Ohno.   
“Don’t you think so?”  
“You are right, I suppose,” Ohno answered meekly, and Nino tussled his hair softly.   
“Come on now. Face our guests it was your idea, after all, to have this dinner with all,” Nino reminded him, and Ohno pouted when the others laughed at him.   
>You are adorable.<  
>You should stop teasing me.<  
>But you are cute that way… But I promise to be nice for the rest of the evening, okay? But see nobody has eaten you yet. And they won’t they will like you. You are an interesting person, and they are just too polite to ask you about everything in your job.<  
Ohno grinned and nodded slowly before focusing once more on the others. He felt Nino curling up beside him with a content smile on his face, and Ohno put his hand on Nino’s hip while he slowly worked through the questions of the others. At the end of the evening, Ohno realised that once he forgot to be nervous - who thought that talking to Jun about art and Aiba about fish would do that - he had an excellent and fun night. More fun than he had for a long time and he hoped that they would repeat such things regularly from now on.   
Luckily, Nino told him that they normally had at least one dinner together at one of their places in the month and Ohno was looking forward to each of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that it's not really interesting :(


	9. Chapter 9

“Hey, Nino?” Ohno asked, and Nino looked up from his game. He was currently sitting on the floor in front of the TV in the living room and playing his newest game. Nino was able to convince the other to go shopping with him and was able to buy a few new games Nino had laid his eyes on the last few weeks but didn’t have the time to get them. And he didn’t want to go out when all the shopping malls were full of people spending money on presents for Christmas before they visited Manhatten.  
“What is it?” he asked and blinked when he saw his guitar in the grip of Ohno and his sparkling eyes. What was Ohno thinking about now? He looked at him like an over excited puppy. Nino paused the game finally and sat up fully when Ohno came over and shoved the guitar into his hands. 

“I didn’t know you play the guitar. Why didn’t you tell me?”  
“Because you didn’t ask?” Nino replied and took the guitar carefully. “And I don’t play anymore. It’s more like a hobby I do when I have enough from my games. That doesn’t often happen, though,” he explained and leant against the sofa behind him.  
“How did you even find it?”  
“I didn’t snoop around. I swear it,” Ohno said fast, and Nino chuckled a little.  
“I didn’t think you did. So don’t worry. But I’m curious.”  
“You told me to put the extra blankets away because it is getting warmer and we don’t need them anymore. When I put them in the cupboard down the hall, I saw the guitar in it, too.”  
“I see. I have totally forgotten that I put it there,” Nino hummed thoughtfully and began playing with its strings and began tuning the guitar absentmindedly.  
“Will you play something for me?” Ohno asked hopefully, and Nino looked at him curiously.   
“Why?”  
“Because I want to listen to you playing. You will be perfect, I am certain of it. So pretty please?” Ohno looked at him with big puppy eyes, and Nino groaned a little. It was hard to say no to Ohno if he looked at him like that.   
“Okay. But only if you pay for our dinner. And I want sushi,” Nino asked, and Ohno grinned, before nodding.   
“Of course. We can order anything you like.”  
“Thanks a lot,” Nino said and looked at the guitar again.   
“But not right now. I have to tune it and then I have to get used to it again. I will play for you later in the afternoon. I promise.”  
Ohno grinned happily and hugged Nino as close as possible before standing up and going back to the bedroom to finish cleaning up. He was excited to listen to Nino later, and Nin could feel the brimming excitement at the back of his mind. He chuckled a little and shook his head. Really how was Ohno able to make him so happy?

It took most of the afternoon for Nino to tune in his guitar and practise a few easy songs so that he got the feeling back. While he was practising, he could hear Ohno walking through the flat and sometimes swearing under his breath. A small smile was on his face as he knew that slowly they got problems with the lack of space in his flat. Ohno was bored easily and got himself a few canvases and paints to do something with his free time, and it was hard to put them somewhere they wouldn’t fall over them. Nino was embarrassed but also surprised to have discovered that Ohno mostly painted pictures of him these past few days. And not only him but also his friends and the different episodes in their lives that were somehow important.  
There was the big Christmas tree in front of the ice rink, the ice rink with many people on them, the hospital bed, the last days recording from their beginning, but also suitcases, washing, bathtubs and tapes, games and many different things that Nino recognised but would mean nothing to most people. Nino loved discovering those things slowly whenever he stumbled on new sketchbooks or canvasses.  
He was almost sure that there would be a new picture of his guitar or him playing with the pile soon. He smiled at that thought and strummed the strings lost in thought. Only when Nino was content with what he did he put the guitar beside him and stood to cook something easy and fast for them to eat and try to decide what he should play for Ohno. Nino didn’t think he could get away with actually holding a small ‘concert’ for his boyfriend without him pouting and telling him that listening to his practice wasn’t the same as listening to full songs while watching him. And Nino knew he was right, sadly. It was completely different. He realised that when he listened to Ohno recording and practising his songs at home. The feeling was vastly different.

“Dinner is ready,” he called and grinned when Ohno shuffled from his bedroom. His hair was in complete disarray, and there was a cute frown on his face.   
“It’s already so late?” Ohno asked and yawned. Nino chuckled as he realised that the older had taken a nap on their bed and rolled his eyes.   
“Yes, and to think that you made me work while you slept,” he chided, and Ohno had the grace to flush a little in embarrassment. It was a cute sight.   
“The fresh beddings smelled so good, and the bed was so comfortable. Combined with the soft noise you made I didn’t realise that I dozed off. I will buy dinner next time,” Ohno promised, and Nino laughed a little.   
“It’s okay, Oh-chan. And I don’t need you to buy me dinner always.”   
“But I promised you sushi if you played for me,” Ohno said, and Nino nodded when he remembered that. He had totally forgotten that he made Ohno promise such a thing. He tried not to groan at that excellent opportunity and shrugged then.   
“Next time then,” he agreed after a moment.  
“Tomorrow?” Nino shrugged and then shook his head.   
“Nope, tomorrow you have a meeting with production for your upcoming tour. I can’t believe you forgot. I even did my best to free my appointments for that so that we can go.”  
Ohno grinned since he knew that Nino would have spent the whole evening playing games. He never had any appointments - besides the Friday nights dinner with their friends now. Ohno was happy that he belonged now to that little circle of close friends somehow. It felt good to be liked by them for who he was. Ohno liked his acquaintances from work, too, but Ohno wasn’t as close to any of them as Nino was to the other three. He met them for meals or fishing and of course for work but never for anything more. Ohno was always kind of a loner, but he had realised that he liked having friends who Ohno could talk to freely (if Ohno spoke. It was also nice that he could just stay silent and listen and nobody would scold him).

After dinner, they settled down in the living room, and Ohno watched Nino with big begging eyes. Nino frowned a little, before chuckling and settling down beside him. He kissed Ohno’s cheek because the older looked so cute and hopeful.   
“Okay, I’ll play something. But you are not allowed to complain to whatever I choose or about how bad I am. I am no longer in regular practice, and it’s long that I last played,” Nino chided, and Ohno nodded so fast that Nino was worried he would hurt himself. “And only if you would calm down a little. You are making me nervous.” Nino grinned when Ohno finally forced himself to calm down and rolled his eyes. He couldn’t understand why Ohno wanted to hear something so urgent. His boyfriend was so silly it was cute.   
He settled down on a lone chair he put there earlier and grabbed his guitar to try a few notes to calm himself and then played the first song that came into his mind. Nino liked playing it when he was younger so it was one of the easy choices he could play and after the first few seconds, Nino fell right into the rhythm he was used to whenever he played as a young boy and dreamed of becoming a star with a band. How silly he was back then. Nino had to hide a smile as he leant over the guitar a bit more so that he could watch his fingers and didn’t have to look at Ohno. His old music teacher scolded him each time he did it because his stance was terrible.   
He ended his play after three songs and Ohno pouted a little. “I want to hear more,” he begged, and Nino shook his head.   
“No way. My hands hurt because they aren’t used to it anymore, and for more, I have to practise more or at least have some notes. I don’t know many songs without them,” he explained and put the guitar carefully away before easing his way beside his boyfriend on the couch. “You are warm,” he mumbled contentedly and smiled when Ohno began to caress his hair.   
“You were good, though. Really good.”  
“You are biased.”  
“No way! It’s the truth. My boss would say the same if I showed him something of your work.”  
“Don’t you dare,” Nino mumbled, and Ohno shrugged.  
“It’s a shame. But I’m happy to have those songs just for me. Can you write your own songs? Some school bands learn such things ne?” he asked excited and Nino groaned.  
“I could. I don’t know if I still can’t. Please stop talking about it?”  
“Okay… But you are splendid. So that you know.”  
“I know. Thanks, Oh-chan,” he said finally and smiled up at him. Ohno caressed his cheek lovingly and put a kiss on his nose. 

“Thank you for playing for me. I feel honoured.”  
“Everything for Oh-chan,” Nino said amused and snuggled closer to the warm body beside him. Ohno continued to thread his fingers through his hair, and Nino felt so content and good. He loved being with Ohno like that so so much. Nino couldn’t deny it. He would miss it so much if Ohno were gone one day.  
A little sigh left his lips, and he shook his head when Ohno watched him a bit confused. >It’s alright. Just… Let me try something?< Nino asked after a moment, and Ohno nodded. Nino smiled and sat up. He took the lovely face in his hands and leant over Ohno’s face to place a slight kiss on Ohno’s lips. A shudder went all over him, and he felt the goosebumps on Ohno’s arms against his own the moment their lips touched. It was almost magical.  
Nino closed his eyes automatically and could feel Ohno doing the same. They were so close like that that he felt the flutter of eyelashes against his fingertips. Ohno’s mouth was slack under his own before Ohno tightened his arms around Nino as to not let him escape and finally reacted to the little kiss. They broke apart once to lick their lips and catch their breaths before coming together again with a slight sound their kissing going deeper and a bit more heated as Ohno nibbled at his lower lip and licked it until Nino opened his mouth with a little gasp. Ohno's hands wandered to the small of his back and placed them there protectively so that Nino couldn’t fall off the sofa and his half straddled position above Ohno.   
When their tongues met for the first time, Nino felt something exploding in him. Not only seemed to be a thousand of wings in his belly suddenly but there seemed to be bright lights in his head and behind his eyes also. They kissed like that a long time and Nino lost count fast for how long they stayed like that. But when they finally broke the kiss he still felt the need to explore Ohno’s mouth further and further. Nino wanted to get to know each niche in there and each taste he could find in there. But the need to breathe and just look into Ohno’S eyes were there also, and it was a battle he knew he would never win because nothing would be better than the other.


	10. Chapter 10

Nino woke up the next morning early and blinked when he realised he was totally naked under the blanket. He looked over to Ohno whose upper body was naked as well. He groaned and rubbed his eyes a moment before he tried to remember what happened. Everything after that little kiss was hazy in his mind. He remembered that he felt as if he was drunk when they broke the kiss the second time or was it the third kiss? He honestly couldn’t remember. Whenever they broke one kiss, there was the need for more of it and the feeling was never nearly enough to get over it.  
So they had kept kissing for a while before the touching began. It started with light touches all over the body of the other to get to know the other more and more. When the touches became more curious their kisses began to heat up as well - Nino now remembered - they took it to the bedroom to get to know the body of the other better. They let the heat that surrounded them as well as the lust consume them. It was an excellent night as far as Nino remembered.   
He sighed because now he was awake with the remainder of the evening and watched Ohno with a little resentment because Nino wished to be able to sleep for a bit longer, but there was nothing he could do. He rubbed his eyes and climbed out of bed to stretched till his bones clicked and then shuffled over to the bathroom to have a hot shower. Nino listened to Ohno’s mind from time to time to make sure that the other was still asleep while he wasn’t in the bedroom. They didn’t speak about their feelings, and even if Nino was sure that Ohno loved him, he didn’t know if Ohno knew that the feelings were returned. He didn’t want to send Ohno into a panic.

When Nino finished his shower, he realised that Ohno was still deeply asleep and tousled his hair a bit confused. He wasn’t sure about what he should do. Back to bed wasn’t an option because he was too conscious for that for the moment. Nino cursed a bit at his too conscious mind and finally decided to prepare some breakfast. With that Nino would be able to wake Ohno without feeling too sorry for disturbing his sleep.  
So Nino went to the kitchen and heaved a sigh of relief when he realised that the fridge was still stocked up enough for him to prepare at least a breakfast without having to do any shopping. He and Ohno would have to do that later, though.  
It didn’t take Nino too much time to prepare something simple to eat with two cups of coffee and a pot full of tea to drink after they had their daily caffeine intake. He heaved a big sigh and went to the bedroom. Nino gingerly put the tray on the nightstand beside his side of the bed and slid into it to nudge at Ohno who grumbled a bit. Nino grinned for a little moment before nudging him again and tickling his waist. He had discovered yesterday that Ohno was a bit ticklish there. Nino chuckled when Ohno grumbled and tried to flee from his fingers. Luckily the wall prevented any fall of the older man and Nino sat back when Ohno realised that he couldn’t roll further and gradually opened his eye and blinked up at him. 

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Nino sang low in his throat and tried not to giggle again when Ohno looked at him blearily eyed and clearly not understanding why he was awake right at the moment. That was also the moment that Nino realised he didn’t even think to check how late it was when he decided to wake the other up.   
Nino shrugged in his mind. Oh well, he couldn’t change that anymore, and after all, he was awake for almost an hour now so it was reasonable that Ohno could be awake finally, too. After all, they would have to talk. And talking would better be done before Nino completely forgot about it because he was lost in his games. Ohno would be too kind not to disturb him and would worry for most of the day before Nino realised they would have to talk.   
Yes, this way was better. Besides, his breakfast and coffee would turn cold if Ohno would stay asleep.   
“I prepared breakfast and made you coffee. So don’t look so grumpy, please?” Nino asked and was happy to see that Ohno finally sat up and looked around in search for his coffee.   
Nino took the tray to place it in between them and took his cup holding it tightly between his slightly cold fingers and taking a sip of the nice tasting liquid that seemed to warm him up till his soul.  
Nino huddled under the blanket as he watched Ohno from the side of his eyes eating his breakfast in small bites and drinking little sips of the coffee in between. He could see the exact moment Ohno realised what they did yesterday and laughed almost at the slight widening of his sleepy eyes and the glance at his face. Nino smiled a bit and put down his empty cup before taking something to eat. Ohno would just nag at him if he didn't partake as well.

“So we had sex last night,” Nino said, and Ohno gulped a little before nodding.   
“It seems like it,” Ohno said, and Nino looked at him softly when he realised that Ohno’s voice broke at those few words. A wave of warmth and love overcome him because Ohno was just so cute and lovely and everything he didn’t deserve.  
“And what I remember of it, it was nice, and I liked it very much. I would love to repeat it once or twice or even more,” Nino added and chuckled when Ohno looked at him surprised and hopeful at the same time. He cupped his cheek in his hands and tilted his head so that he could look into his eyes.   
“Oh-chan… Do you really still think that I might not love you more than anything?” Nino asked, and Ohno blushed a little at those words.   
“You never told me. Not really at least,” Ohno said when he remembered the confession of Nino in his sleep. It had been so cute and honest that Ohno fell in love with Nino, even more, that moment those many weeks back.   
Nino curiously peeked at Ohno and tilted his head. “What do you mean?”  
“You confessed once in your sleep but I wasn’t sure, and I didn’t want to pressure you and…” Nino stopped the wave of words and hugged Ohno close when he realised that Ohno felt guilty for having heard him speaking in his sleep and never told him.  
“It’s okay, Oh-chan breathe. Don’t panic, okay? I confessed. I am in love with you. I love you,” he said and giggled when Ohno kissed him slow, long and deeply for a while. When they broke apart, Nino put his forehead against Ohno’s and looked at him with sparkly eyes.   
“It’s your turn you know´?”  
Ohno smiled, and Nino had to touch the smile, so he lifted his fingers and carefully caressed the upturned lips. It looked beautiful, and Nino wanted to treasure Ohno forever. He would never let anyone hurt him, he realised at exact that moment. Nobody. Not his fans, his friends, his management or even his family. Not even Ohno himself was allowed to hurt his lover.   
“I love you. I have loved you from that moment you woke up in the hospital with that terrible headache of yours,” Ohno confessed, and they kissed again for a long while. Nino didn’t care anymore if their breakfast, coffee and tea would turn cold or that they still had to go shopping, or that Ohno still was naked. All of those was soon forgotten as he joined Ohno once more in that comfortable bed.


	11. Chapter 11

“We can’t keep up like that,” Nino groaned when he almost destroyed one of Ohno’s canvasses, and Ohno looked up from where he was fiddling with one of his electric toy cars. The one that brought Nino to a fall almost four times already today.   
“What are you talking about?” Ohno asked surprised when Nino finally reached the sofa and sat down on it. He groaned a little when he realised he sat down on one of his controllers and pulled it out from behind his back to put it on the table. Ohno smiled up at him and squeezed his ankle lovingly that was just beside him on the floor.   
“This… All of this. It’s too much. The clutter is frustrating. But we don’t have any space left to put all the things we own now. I can’t even move through my flat,” he mumbled and groaned. What was most frustrating was that it was still his place after all the weeks Ohno already lived here with him. Everywhere were his things, his decorations, his furniture and his applications. Nothing in here was really from Ohno. There were only a few canvasses Ohno still worked on and his clothes in a damn suitcase in the bedroom. Nino didn’t have any space left in his cupboard for Ohno to put his clothes in and no space left to add another closet. So Ohno moved his things regularly back to his flat and got new things from there, too. Nino hated it. That way it didn’t seem as if Ohno belonged now to Nino and that they lived together. He really, really didn’t like it and wanted it to change.

Ohno stopped playing with the remote car then and finally looked up. He mustered Nino who looked frustrated right now, and Ohno also could feel how it all made Nino feel down. And the last thing Ohno wanted was to know that his beloved was sad. So he sat up and shuffled a bit so that he could kneel in between Nino’s legs to be able to look into his downcast eyes. Ohno cupped his face softly between his hands and kissed him slowly but oh so sweetly. Nino relaxed against him, and Ohno smiled when he felt a buzz running through Nino.   
“Then we have to move. It’s easy, Kazu. We just need a bigger apartment, and then we can force your friends” - “our friends” - “our friends, really Kazu don’t interrupt me here, to help us with the move.”  
“But they are your friends as well now not only mine. You sound lonely if you say they are my friends,” Nino explained, and Ohno rolled his eyes a bit exasperated. Nino giggled and then slid down the couch to end up on Ohno’s lap who moved quickly to accommodate his lover the best he could.   
Nino grinned at him and played with his hair. “You make it sound so easy, Oh-chan,” he said slowly.   
“Because it is.”  
“No… I no… I don’t want to move in your flat. That wouldn’t feel like ours as well. I’m sorry if I am stupid with that. And your apartment is too expensive for me and too far away from work. If you try to tell me that it’s fine and you can take care of the rent all alone I will pinch you so hard that the bruise will be there for weeks,” he warned when Ohno opened his mouth to say just that probably. 

Ohno pouted quite spectacularly at that which made Nino giggle a bit and then snuggled up closer to him.  
“I should be offended, you know? The way you talk one could think you don’t like my apartment at all,” Ohno mumbled against Nino’s sweet smelling hair and the younger man in his arms laughed softly.  
“I don’t. I don’t know why but it gives me the creeps. It doesn’t look comfortable. It is cold, and it is so nothing like you. I hate it. I won’t move there, period. End of discussion on that part.” Ohno rolled his eyes and began to tickle Nino until the other was helplessly laughing on his lap. He stopped when Nino begged breathlessly and kissed the sweet lips fast and deeply.   
“Okay, okay we’ll look for another one. But it needs the okay of my management. They are not exactly happy with the security of this complex but let me be because we almost never leave the house. But if I have to go back and forth from somewhere it needs a bit more security.”  
“Urgh, why ever that?”  
“Because they are paranoid? I don’t know, but I think they had bad experiences, so there is that. But I can call my manager, and he would be able to look if there are any free apartments in buildings that are approved of them?” Ohno said, and Nino nodded after a moment of silence.   
“Okay, that works for me,” he finally mumbled and forced himself to stand up to get a piece of paper and a pen to write down where he worked and which regions would be okay for him to live in as well as an amount of money he would be able to pay for rent. “Here, send this to him and then come on I want to cuddle in bed and get some sleep,” Nino said, and Ohno grinned.  
“You don’t seem to be that tired, though,” he said as he sent the information to his manager and began to follow Nino who already took off his shirt slowly while looking at him over his shoulder.   
“Then you could change that?” Nino said, and Ohno grinned happily while he followed his lover to the bedroom. That sounded like a great idea.

—

It was half a week later when Nino forced himself out of bed more early than he would have liked. Ohno’s manager had sent them a handful of apartments that were open to renting, and the first visiting appointment was at half past eight. He rubbed his eyes when he looked at the clock and groaned. They had to get up and get ready when they wanted to be on time for that.   
“Oh-chan, come on, wake up,” he grumbled and elbowed him softly when Ohno made grabby hands for him. “No time for cuddling. Come on we need to move. I will go and take a shower now, and if you aren’t up when I am back, I will make you,” Nino grumbled and bit his shoulder once before going and taking that shower he talked about earlier. His hair was a mess he observed on his way and shook his head. Why were they up so late the day before again? Ah, yes, Aiba and Sho decided to come over unannounced and didn’t leave until well into the night. Sometimes Nino hated his best friend more than was healthy, probably.   
It didn’t take long for him to wake up fully, though, because instead of moving the handle to the left for hot water he turned it to the right and cursed loudly when the cold water hit him while half asleep. As fast as he could, he changed the temperatures and sighed when the shivers finally went away.   
Ohno was on his way to the bathroom when Nino finally emerged and tried to get a kiss from his lover who dodged him and grinned when Ohno pouted. “Get ready and join me for coffee. You’ll get your good morning kiss then, maybe,” he teased him, and Ohno sighed when he closed the door to the bathroom to get ready.

Ohno would like it more if he could have a lazy morning and day with Nino just like the last few days and even weeks but he knew that their days alone would become less now. The tour would start soon as did all the other works he put on a stop for the two to three months he and Nino needed to get close and used to each other enough to be able to spend time apart from each other again.  
So yeah, today was probably a good beginning to get used to the fact that their hectic lives would have them back soon enough even if Ohno hated that thought he also had, to be honest with himself and admit that he missed his work and kinda hectic life. Nino knew that, of course, so Ohno wasn’t too worried about telling him. Ohno also knew that Nino missed his workplace and the people back there even if he hated handling customers sometimes he loved fiddling with computers and trying out a few games before they came out on the side.   
>Are you coming? Your coffee is getting cold, Satoshi. What are you doing so long in the shower?< Nino’s voice cut over his thoughts and he blinked a moment as he remembered that Nino was waiting for him.   
>Coming!< he answered and finished showering before towelling himself down and then going fully clothed into the kitchen. 

“There you are. I thought you drowned yourself,” Nino said with a grin and handed him over the cup of coffee while kissing the side of his mouth.   
“Mhmm… Just thinking,” Ohno answered, and Nino nodded bright eyed. Ohno realised that Nino knew what he was thinking about and blushed a bit.   
“Silly thoughts, huh?” he said, and Ohno nodded mutely. Nino squeezed his hand lovingly and then sat beside his lover on the second chair in the kitchen. It was small, and the table was originally only for one person, so he and Nino mostly sat right beside each other - or half on top of each other to be exact. Ohno loved it. Wherever they would move, he wanted this table and this little space just for them in it.  
“Yup, very silly. I’m curious about the apartments. What do you think they will look like?” Ohno asked and realised he was excited at the prospect of choosing a new home together with Nino. Moving never seemed to be excited, but with Nino, many ordinary things were anything but that. 

“I don’t care as long as it is big enough to accommodate all of our stuff.”  
“A big tub would be nice though,” Ohno said dreamily, and Nino chuckled when Ohno projected his thoughts a little too loudly. But the image of them both cuddling in a nice hot tub was lovely, so he didn’t complain.   
“A big room for your paints and sculptures with lots of light, too, ne?” Nino asked amused, and Ohno nodded.   
“Yes, so that you don’t hurt yourself when you try to avoid stepping on them accidentally,” Ohno grinned and squeaked when Nino bit his shoulder where he had rested his head on.   
“Meanie.”  
“Am not. You are. Not everybody is as graceful as you. I want a bigger living room. For my games and consoles and a big new television. Or no, we just take yours. It’s much larger than mine, and it’s cheaper than buying a new one. But it has to be big enough so that the others can visit us again. At the moment we can’t let anyone in,” Nino grumbled. He hated to have to go out every time they had a dinner with their friends. It was so much more comfortable when they did it here. That way they could cuddle as soon as the other were out of the door without being careful in public. Much better!  
Ohno nodded and played with Nino’s hair. “Sounds nice. A second bedroom for guests and as a working space for you whenever you take things from work back home.”  
“Or for your scripts and all the things you have to memorise. So that I don’t find them everywhere when you lose them,” Nino added cheekily and squealed when Ohno began tickling his sides at that.   
“I repeat Meanie.”  
“Oh, please stop! I am sorry, so sorry,” Nino laughed and tried to wriggle out of Ohno’s hold. His sides hurt from laughing so much and Ohno grinned when he stopped and kissed his nose.  
“Come on, we have to go,” Ohno said and waved his phone which blinked with what Nino consumed was a message of Ohno’s manager who promised them to drive them from one appointment to the other as neither Ohno nor Nino had a car.

—

“I can’t believe that you forced us to help,” Jun grumbled while he was packing some plates in a box. “And that you didn’t even bother to finish packing at all!”  
“Come on, J. We packed all the big things already, and most of the furniture will be taken by professionals. But I can’t do everything alone,” Nino whined, and Jun rolled his intense eyes.   
“You have your boyfriend to help.” Nino sighed and rubbed the spot where his heart was. In a few days, their normal lives would go on. And they decided it was the best for them if they split up for packing their own stuff alone. It hurt a bit, but Sho and Aiba said that it was normal for the first few days, so it was the best to do it slowly.   
“Oh-chan is packing up his stuff with a few of his friends who, I’m sure of it, won’t whine half as much as you! We’ll meet at the new flat. Come on; you can’t tell me you aren’t curious about it. You wouldn’t shut up three days earlier,” he mumbled and hissed when Aiba patted his shoulder harder than necessary.   
“Jun is just grumpy because it’s so early. Come on, don’t rile yourselves up or we will never finish,” he said well naturally, and Nino grumbled in dismay. When Aiba was the voice of logic the world was going to chaos, Nino thought and finally left Jun in peace to get his games in order. He had already packed all of his clothes the night before with Ohno’s help, as well as most of the kitchen and bathroom stuff, so Jun didn’t have to grumble.   
Nino looked over to Sho and Aiba who were packing the other stuff of the living room and shook his head. Right, he had to move on so that they would finish soon. Ohno had promised to order anything for all the helpers this evening, and Nino was looking forward to it.   
Nino grinned and sent a short: >Love you.< into Ohno’s direction before getting his butt in gear and packed the last few things before the moving van would arrive.

They arrived just in time with the second moving van at the new apartment, and Nino groaned a little. Ohno should have arrived an hour earlier so that the movers would have moved his part in already but Nino had forgotten how chaotic Ohno could be. Sadly, his closest friends from the agency weren’t that much better.  
Nino thought that that was probably some artist thing. One needed to be a bit clutter brained to work well in that industry. But he had forgotten about that, or he would have sent Jun to them. Jun was almost always able to scare everyone who didn’t know him so much that they did what he wanted - and as much as it hurt Nino to admit it: Jun was excellent in getting things done. 

Nino shrugged it was nothing they could change now and hopped from the van to greet Ohno and Machida-kun with a smile. “You are late,” he chided, and Ohno looked at least a bit embarrassed even if wholly unapologetic.   
“Aren’t you just early?” Machida asked with a grin, and Nino glared a bit at the older man who laughed and then went off to probably talk to the others.   
“Hey,” Nino said when he was alone with Ohno on whose lips a smile finally blossomed.  
“Missed you,” Ohno said and hugged him close for a moment.   
“Silly. Come on; we have some movers to direct. Do you have any money?” he asked, and Ohno blinked confused before giving him his wallet. Nino grinned and grabbed a few notes before sauntering over to their friends.   
“Here. There is a cafe just down the street. It’s lovely. Take a break there and if you could be so sweet to bring two coffees back to us as well when you come back? I think we’ll need an hour before we can start in the flat,” he explained and winked amused when Jun readily took the money and looked a bit happier. Jun loved trying out new cafes especially if he had others to take with him.   
“You are too nice,” Ohno said when he was back, and Nino shrugged.   
“I just didn’t want them to get on my nerves while whining that they are bored. And I think the movers might kill Sho because every time they took something that might break he stiffened and Aiba had to hold him back from getting in between.” Ohno laughed, and they finally began directing the movers where to put their things for easy access. As Nino predicted it took around an hour, and he was busy putting out the necessities when the others came back with the promised coffee for Ohno and Nino to take a break while they began emptying the first boxes in the kitchen and Ohno’s new art room/studio.

It was very late when Nino nearly collapsed on top of his bed. Thanks to their friends the most valuable furniture were already up, and the kitchen was fully stocked with food and all their appliances set up as well as the bathroom. But it had been much to do, and Nino was just too happy that they were finally alone and were able to sleep. He listened to the sounds of Ohno using the bathroom and was already half asleep when Ohno let himself fall on top of Nino.   
“You are heavy,” Nino mumbled and giggled when Ohno put his nose at his neck and sniffed it very loudly. It tickled, and it was a strange feeling. Ohno nipped at the soft skin, finally rolling off Nino so that the other could turn around to face him.   
“Hello, tired?” Ohno asked, and the sparkle in his eyes told Nino that Ohno hoped the answer would be a ‘no’.  
“Yup,” Nino replied and chuckled when Ohno’s face fell. He giggled and snuggled closer to the other. “Kiss me?” he asked, and Ohno smiled when he complied.   
“What do you want to do?” Nino asked cheekily, and Ohno’s fingers already wandered under his shirt and teased his skin. Ohno’s fingers always felt nice and warm on him, so Nino closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation of Ohno caressing his upper body a little. A shiver broke over him when the fingers stroked his waist softly.  
“Inaugurating our new apartment?” Ohno asked hopefully, and his hand slipped finally under his waistband to cup his butt.  
“Sounds great,” Nino said with a little moan when one of Ohno’s fingers poked against his hole. Ohno had the best ideas, after all, Nino thought when he moved even closer to the older to kiss him deeply.


	12. Chapter 12

“I’m home,” Nino said when he entered their apartment and threw off his shoes before putting them orderly at the entry. It would only be his annoyance if he didn't so since Ohno didn’t care about such things. He put his jacket away and threw his keys into the bowl in the entry. His shoes were the only ones in the bowl that meant that Ohno was still at work. Nino remembered Ohno had said something about recording they had to do today, but Nino honestly couldn’t remember. His day has been shitty until now, and it was only logical that it would continue to be like that. He had hoped that Ohno was already back and would greet him with a warm hug and a comforting kiss, perhaps even some dinner but of course nothing of that happened.   
Nino sighed a little and collapsed on the sofa. His head was killing him. He didn’t know why but since some time around lunch it hurt like a bitch and slowly it was getting frustrating and too much. He couldn’t move his head without sending the world spinning, and his way home was hell because of that. Of course, he couldn’t go back earlier since they were short staffed and had to listen to the customer's complaints all day without any rest time. Sometimes he wished he had decided to pursue another career. Such thoughts were few and far in between but today was just such a day. 

The only good thing (more or less) was that it was at least sunny when he was on his way home. The sun hurt in his eyes and he had worn too warm clothes, but it was better than wind and rain. In particular for his head. When he was like that cold wind was just the killer for his headaches and Nino wasn’t sure if he would have managed the way home that way. But okay, that didn’t happen.  
He threw his arm over his eyes and massaged his temple for a moment. He wished he could make the pain disappear that way, but no such luck. He shook his head and stood again to take some painkillers and lay down once more, closing his eyes to rest for a bit before beginning to cook their dinner for when Ohno came home. Ohno was usually hungry after a long day of work, and Nino liked making sure he had something to eat. He also loved the happy expressions Ohno had every time Nino cooked something for him.  
Nino checked if his walls were still up so that Ohno wouldn’t be bothered by his headache and didn’t realise that he fell asleep shortly after all that because he was just too exhausted. A headache, stress at work and the painkiller together seemed to be just too much for him at the moment.

Ohno looked at his watch and tried to be as silent as possible when he opened the door to their apartment. He knew Nino was asleep as the younger had somehow the habit to share his strange dreams with him if Ohno was still up. He was aware that Nino couldn’t help it because he didn’t have any control while sleeping, but Ohno found it too adorable to see what kind of things Nino saw whenever he was asleep. Ohno also knew that Nino didn’t feel well as his dreams were full of concerns of sending any of his pain to Ohno and disturbing his work that way.   
Ohno wanted to come home as soon as he realised that Nino was ill but recording took longer than usually, and he had to finish it today if he didn’t want to have to work over time another day. And Ohno hated working overtime as well as Nino did (especially if that meant that he had to work on his free days and Nino made sure to shuffle his work around so that they had the same days free as often as possible, or if Ohno came home late into the night). Ohno smiled as he remembered the promise Nino made him do.   
Ohno chuckled at that memory and finally managed to put everything down without making too much noise. He vanished into the kitchen to make something to drink for his lover and stretched tiredly. Ohno didn’t want to wake Nino up, but he knew that he should. It was late, Nino didn’t have dinner and probably hasn’t had anything to drink since lunch - Nino tended to forget such things while he was working - and should take another pill before heading for bed.   
With a plate of food and the finished tea, he entered the living room again where Nino was still asleep and set everything on the table before kneeling beside Nino to wake him carefully. Ohno frowned when he realised that Nino hadn’t used any blanket when he went to sleep and that his hands were cold while his face was strangely hot. He hoped Nino didn’t catch a cold. Not right now when Ohno almost didn’t have any free time to look after him.   
“Huh? You are already back?” Nino asked blearily and blinked cutely and confusedly at him. “Urgh… My head hurts, and I’m cold,” he whined and sat up carefully. Ohno helped him up and kissed his cheek softly.

“That’s because you didn’t take any blanket when you decided to sleep on the couch,” Ohno chided. “You told me to make sure that I use one whenever I want to nap but don’t do it yourself?” he asked worriedly when Nino swayed a bit as he slid to the floor and snuggled close to Ohno and get some body heat.  
“Didn’t want to fall asleep. I wanted to cook for you. You are hungry, right? I can make something?” Ohno kissed his forehead and shook his head.   
“Nope. I brought something to eat for us both after work. And I made your favourite tea. We’ll eat something and drink our tea before heading for bed, okay?” Nino was still not fully awake and just nodded as he accepted the warm cup of tea and drank a little of it. Ohno was suddenly very happy that he made sure that it was only lukewarm at that sight because he wasn’t so sure Nino would realise that he was burning himself if not. Ohno was also happy that he decided on a simple dish Nino could eat without chopsticks while he rescued their carpet as he took the cup before Nino set it down a few centimetres before their table began. Ohno kept his arm around Nino when he opened the pizza boxes, and Nino took the first slice to nibble on it.   
Ohno smiled and kissed his temple before beginning to eat himself. It didn’t take that long for both of them to demolish the two pizzas and Nino to drink the last of his now almost cold tea and to take another pill. Ohno helped him up and to the bath to get ready.Then Ohno brought Nino to bed and pulled the covers over him.   
“Sleep. I will join you soon,” Ohno promised when Nino asked him childishly to stay. He put everything away as fast as he could and then slid under the covers beside Nino who robbed over to him to cuddle up as close as he managed. Ohno chuckled a little and closed his arms around him.   
“Sleep well, my love,” he whispered, and Nino hummed agreeable in response. Ohno smiled and kissed his head before closing his eyes, dreaming of the promise they made to each other shortly after moving in together. And that was now forever brandished on the bands around their fingers

“Oh-chan promise me?” Nino asked, and Ohno blinked confusedly up at him. He wanted to sleep, but Nino was nothing but stubborn.   
“What?” he asked, and Nino played nervously with his fingers. It had been disturbing to see Ohno loved by many people on stage and he got suddenly terrified.   
“Promise that you will always stay by my side?” he asked and Ohno chuckled before gathering the younger man in his arms. He kissed his lips, short but hard, and licked over them as an apology.   
“Always. I will make sure that you can always fall asleep by my side,” Ohno whispered and Nino smiled when he snuggled closer to him and kissed his shoulder lovingly. Ohno knew that Nino never liked falling asleep alone now more than ever.   
“Okay. I love you.”  
“I love you, too, my dear,” Ohno answered and kissed the blushing ears softly. “Now sleep, silly. I’m tired of moving on stage, and we have to be up early tomorrow.” He smiled when Nino fell asleep in his arms after that and waited till his breaths evened out fully before closing his eyes.   
>I will never let you go.<


End file.
